Project Knightmobile

[IronCastKnight]

I acquired a WC T-5 transmission from a '88 Camaro IROC-Z to go behind the Rocket 350 when I put that in, and converting the Knightmobile to a manual is going to be an adventure. Now I just need to find a console that I like to go between my seats, and I'll have the basis for the final form of the Knightmobile.

Of course, inbetween Proto-Knightmobile and Final Nightmobile is months and months of saving up money to buy parts, fix things that break, and trying to find the ideal set up, but in the end it'll be worth it to have a crazy-*ss Cutlass unlike most of the other Cutlasses on the road.

 

[DRIVEN]

Sure it's a WC? Did you get the canted bellhousing that goes with it?

 

[84clonewars]

Dont plan on that WC T5 to last long behind a torquey 350, they couldnt stand up to the torque of the 350 TPI, I believe they are rated up to 300 ft/lbs, good luck man it sounds cool.

 

[IronCastKnight]

I'm moderately certain it's a WC; It has the canted bellhousing and the torx bolt instead of the standard hex bolt. I'll know for sure when I pop the bellhousing off and can check the race bearing.

Yeah, I know the T-5 isn't rated for much more than lowest torque the Rocket 350 makes stock, and I'm aware it's not going to last long, so I'm primarily using it as an intermediate step so I can get all the rest of the car ready for using a manual transmission. I plan on driving it very gently until I can swap it out for a TKO 500. Very, very gently if I do even some of the upgrades I was planning on the Rocket.

 

[84clonewars]

I'm moderately certain it's a WC; It has the canted bellhousing and the torx bolt instead of the standard hex bolt. I'll know for sure when I pop the bellhousing off and can check the race bearing.

Yeah, I know the T-5 isn't rated for much more than lowest torque the Rocket 350 makes stock, and I'm aware it's not going to last long, so I'm primarily using it as an intermediate step so I can get all the rest of the car ready for using a manual transmission. I plan on driving it very gently until I can swap it out for a TKO 500. Very, very gently if I do even some of the upgrades I was planning on the Rocket.

hahaha you said drive it gently yea right we all say that and then its broken in weeks lol, good luck with that. A TKO would be sweet man. Hunt around for a T56 maybe youll get lucky and snag one for abt a 1000$.

 

[IronCastKnight]

Haha yeah, it's hard to keep the foot off when pounding it is rewarded with delicious acceleration and that deep, sexy dragon's roar of a V8. Still, I've spent the last few years driving a Honda Insight, so I'm no stranger to treating a car like a delicate flower made of egg shells and angel farts. This time I'll have the incentive of keeping the transmission from exploding instead of just better gas mileage.

 

[DRIVEN]

You probably already know that this is what you want to see if it's a WC:

I only asked if it was because I always thought that the Fbodys were all non-WC until they started putting them behind v6s only ('93?). Either way, it'll be fine for a while unless you're blatantly abusive to it. Just like the Saginaws, they're tougher than people give them credit for.

 

[IronCastKnight]

After weeks and weeks of faffing about, the Knightmobile is fully back together and running fine. Of course, now that the major issues are out of the way for the time being, the smaller issues spring back into the foreground. Issues like my fuel sending unit acting dubiously, and my speedometer cable desperately needing changing so I can actually know what speed I'm going at, as compared to a rough ballpark somewhere within the range of the wagging needle.

On the plus side, when I take the gauge cluster out to get at the cable I can take the opportunity to put the gear indicator needle clip thing through the correct hole this time.

Next on the agenda: Getting the Rocket 350 up on the stand, cleaned up, and broken down so I can have some machine work done on it. Probably not a full-on rebuild amount, but at least a cylinder hone and some head work like hardened valve seats and the like. Whatever it needs to be a well running moderately badass engine for someone who drives like an old lady.

Also cosmetics! I'm lusting after the brushed aluminum style interior trim bits and the reproduction blade style grills gbodyparts.com is going to be selling pretty soon.

 

[IronCastKnight]

Finally got around to popping the bellhousing off the T-5 and was greeted with the sight of the WC Timken bearing race, so now I know for certain that it's a World Class. Smoother shifting than NWC whoot whoot.

I've got my eye on a Monte Carlo SS rear end with 3.73 gears to give the Knightmobile a little bit of pep when I hit the gas(as compared to the scornful distaste for acceleration it sneers at me when I hit the gas at present), and I'm probably going to put in new upper and lower control arms while I'm at it. I am, however, undecided between nonadjustable tubular/boxed control arms, or the adjustable control arms with those rotojoint thingamajiggers. On one hand, I don't drag race or even really corner hard, so the normal bushing arms would probably fit me just fine while being a good bit cheaper and not requiring me to dick around with adjusting them for optimal performance. On the other hand, the rotojoint ones are spiffy as all get out, so I can't bring myself to decide between the two.

Basically, I can't decide between having the ability to power around corners and across uneven roads like a ricer on steroids in case I ever need it or the ability to spend about three times less for something that'll still be better than stock.

Or I could get nonadjustable rotojoint control arms from Summit, but I kind of wanted to throw more money at gbodyparts.com because I like them.

 

[IronCastKnight]

Didn't get the Monte rear end, which was a bummer due to it being fairly ideal, so I'm going to go the Ultimate 7.5 route and seriously beef up my rear with Moser axles and what not later down the road. I'm not going to be drag racing and I'm not putting in a big block, so it'll probably hold up fine. And, if it doesn't... there's always the Ford 9. My dad's a good welder and I'm a machinist, so between his welding and my standing around ability we could probably rig up a good enough jig to get everything where it's supposed to be.

Spent the day breaking down the Rocket 350, and everything I've seen so far fills me with hope. Best of all is that the cylinders seem to be in fantastic condition, ridge free and with the original hone marks visible, which I take to be a good sign... or a sign that the engine has been rebuilt at some point. I'll find out for sure when I take some calipers to them, but, considering everything else the old guy I bought it from said has been true, I'm willing to assume that it's held up with true Oldsmobile durability.

When I put it all back together I'd like to put in new connecting rods along with everything else, but I'm having a hell of a time finding any online. The only ones I can find on Summit and Rocket Racing Performance are for 455s, which are longer than the 350 rods. I'm hoping I can find a source for them, but if not I suppose I could have the crank ground to accept Chevy rods. I'd really prefer to use Olds ones, though.

PICS TIEM

The engine in all her crusty glory, minus the valve covers. Said covers are the ones with "Oldsmobile" stamped on them, which is pretty boss, but sadly they have the slightly soft E.